NORWICH — With 28 seconds left in the first half and the ball on the New London 2-yard line, Norwich Free Academy's Marcus Outlow took the hand off and got halfway to the goal line.

The only problem with that was the Wildcats didn't have any time outs left. By the time they got the pile sorted, got up and tried to get back to the line, officials had signaled the end of the half.

"(That hurt) tremendously, we were going to score there," NFA coach Jemal Davis said. "It was big, we could have the momentum going into the half and it was reminiscent of Glastonbury where we had that same situation."

It also helped produce the same result: an NFA loss. New London accomplished what it had to. It put together a Glastonbury-type performance: bend, but don't break defensively, keep NFA out of the end zone and score just enough to get into the CIAC Class M state playoffs.

The mission was accomplished with a 9-7 New London win at Alumni Field Thursday. It means the Whalers not only will get a rematch with Middletown — a team they defeated at Cannamela Field, 23-21, on Nov. 6 — but also brought home the Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division crown. All pairings are unofficial until the CIAC committee approves the points on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Ironic

New London coach Duane Maranda termed it "ironic" that one game accomplished both of the Whalers' season goals.

"We've been through some battles and we've been through, by far in my eyes, the toughest schedule in the ECC that prepared us to play a football game like this," Maranda said.

NFA had already qualified for a Class LL state playoff game, but instead of playing a home game at 6:30 p.m. at Montville High Tuesday, the fifth-seeded Wildcats will play at No.4 Southington.

Just like NFA's loss had similarities to its defeat in Glastonbury, New London's resembled its biggest win of the year over Middletown. That game was decided by the foot of freshman kicker Garrett Burdick, who booted a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give the Whalers (9-2, 3-0 ECC Large) the win.

There was plenty of time remaining on Thursday — five minutes, 15 seconds — when Maranda again turned the game over to the freshman's foot.

"I didn't think about it until the end of the game when all of a sudden I said to myself, 'Did a freshman just kick a 40-yard field and put us into the playoffs?'" Maranda said with a laugh.

Page 2 of 2 - On 4th-and-17, New London quarterback Danny Maranda (5-for-13 passing, 52 yards) was sacked by Tuzar Skipper on the NFA 38-yard line. But to get to the quarterback, Skipper grabbed hold of Maranda's facemask. The officials saw it and moved the ball to the 23-yard-line. With a little help from his kicking coach and spotter, John Curry, who reminded Duane Maranda in his headset that the wind was behind Burdick, the New London coach quickly began to yell "field goal."

"I practice that kick over and over in practice, it's nothing new, but in a game — this rivalry — I know how much it means to everyone on the team and to all the alumni. It got to me," Burdick said.

Close kick

When he kicked it, he thought he mishit it and from the take-off, it didn't look like the ball had enough on it. It took what seemed to be forever to get there but had enough distance and hung inside the right crossbar for what proved to be the game-winning three points.

The Wildcats had another shot at it as they drove to the New London 26-yard line where they faced a 4th-and-7. Alex Beaudreault completed his first pass of the day to Ramel Williams, giving NFA a first down at the New London 10. But a flag came flying in from in front of the play and an ineligible receiver downfield negated the play.

"They did a great job defensively, and when we got some plays going, we got off schedule with a penalty or a missed assignment — we can't do those types of things — and when we did, it got us off-tempo," Davis said.

MVP

Orrin Parke (29 carries, 107 yards) was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The Whaler running back scored the only touchdown for them on a 22-yard scamper in the third quarter.

The only touchdown for NFA (8-2, 2-1) came off a 58-yard run by Khaleed Exum-Strong (18 carries, 94 yards) late in the third quarter. Outlow finished with 119 yards but played only one series in the second half, going to the sidelines with a sore shoulder. Davis said Outlow will be ready to play on Tuesday night.

"We're in the playoffs, that's a good thing," Davis said. "I will take the fifth seed, play Southington. If we get by Southington and Newtown gets by (Ridgefield), that's a familiar face and that's all you're asking for: an opportunity."